Houston Accident Lawyer - What Does "Board Certified" Mean?

Any time you need an attorney, you want the best. That is certainly true when you are the victim of an accident caused by another's neglect or wrongdoing. In Houston and all over Texas, some personal injury attorneys are certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and others are not. Only you can decide which accident lawyer can best represent you, and there are many factors to consider. The focus here is to shed some light on one kind of certification and give you an idea of what it means.

The Supreme Court of Texas established the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in 1974, its purpose being to offer qualified lawyers the opportunity to distinguish themselves by their experience and competence. There are twenty areas of Texas law in which an attorney can become certified, including Family law, Criminal law, Bankruptcy, Real Estate, and Immigration law. Accident lawyers can apply to become certified in the area of "Personal Injury Trial" law. To qualify for certification in this or any of the other nineteen specialty areas, a lawyer must have relevant and substantial experience in that particular field of law. The lawyer must also have demonstrated special competence in the law area in which he wants to be certified.

To begin the process, a lawyer must complete an application that requires details such as the number of Texas personal injury trail law matters the attorney has been involved in and the attorney's specific role (e.g. Lead Counsel, Co-Lead Counsel). Information as to the outcome of these matters must also be provided. If you want to see exactly what questions are asked, you can go to the Texas Board of Legal Specialization website and request a sample application.

Among other requirements, to be eligible to apply for this certification an accident lawyer must have been in practice for five years and must have a minimum of three years of experience in Personal Injury Trial law. There is a fee for submitting the application, and if approved the lawyer must then pass an examination, which involves another fee.

This certification is not a one-time event but rather an on-going process that requires the accident lawyer to maintain involvement in Personal Injury Trial law. There are also requirements for continuing education related to current trends in the area of law.

One point you may wish to consider is that this certification is entirely voluntary. If a lawyer does not have this certification, does that mean that he or she could not qualify? Perhaps, but on the other hand perhaps it could mean that the lawyer simply chose not to apply. For example, one might presume that some lawyers consider themselves to have a solid reputation and as many clients as they desire to have or can handle, and because of that they may not deem it worth the time and money required to qualify for the certification. This, of course, is something you would need to investigate and judge for yourself.

The information here is presented as an overview only, and it is not intended to be nor does it serve as any sort of legal advice. The purpose is only to provide a brief and very basic explanation of what this certification is. If you are in the unfortunate position of needing to acquire the services of a Houston Accident Lawyer, it goes without saying that you will want to do thorough research before you decide. To learn more, you can go to the website of the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and read details, including the Rules and Regulations and the Standards for Certification that apply to accident lawyers who want to try to qualify for this certification.

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